


Stateside

by ksaan



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Arthur is done with Cobb's bullshit, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-26 23:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20397766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksaan/pseuds/ksaan
Summary: Arthur just really wants to go home, and right now, home is stateside.





	Stateside

“Hey are you ok?” Another job, another kneecap blown out by Mal, another moment Arthur hopelessly wishes the conversation were turned. _Because I’m fucking not ok. And it’d be really nice of you to ask for once._

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” Cobb brushes him off per usual. It’s their routine now.

“Well, down in the dream, Mal showing up.” _Again. _He doesn’t have to say it out loud for the sentiment to linger between them.

“Look, I’m sorry about your leg. Won’t happen again.” _Yes it will. It’s been happening for fucking months now. _Arthur shifts uncomfortably, slinging his travel bag over his other shoulder.

“It’s getting worse, isn’t it?” _Of course it is. First it was just a glimmer of Mal, her skirt twisting around a corner, her laugh from the other end of the bar. Now, it’s nightly executions at the hand of Cobb, and never before Mal managed to make her mark. _

“One apology’s all you’re getting all right?” _I deserve much more than an apology. I definitely don’t deserve to finally be having real dreams again – only to have them be nightmares. _Arthur’s fingers unconsciously twitch for a cigarette. He’d stopped smoking ages ago – when he stopped dreaming naturally. And now that he’s dreaming again… he needs _something_ to take the edge off.

“Where’s Nash?” A deflection. Cobb doesn’t give one shit about Nash and he knows Arthur knows that.

“He hasn’t shown. You want to wait?” _Because I sure as hell am not. _

“We were supposed to deliver Saito’s expansion plans…” Arthur zones out. He’s not getting what he wanted from this conversation, of _course_ not, and he no longer cares. They’ve failed. Arthur’s known for hours they’ve failed and has already booked his flight, burned his burners, and called in a few favors to give him a head start ahead of Cobol’s goons. He can’t say the same for Cobb, because for once, he didn’t bother handling his arrangements. The man is ten years his senior, he can book a fucking plane ticket using one of his emergency identities Arthur called in a favor to procure.

“Where you gonna go?” It’s the first time in a long time they’ve split up. It only makes sense, now. Sticking together with Cobol after them just makes the game too easy.

“Buenos Aires. I can lie low there, maybe sniff out a job when things quiet down.” _Stupid. No one there in their right mind will work with you. They’ve been warned. _“You?”

“Stateside.” _Eames. _It echoes in his mind.

“Send my regards.” _Trust me, he won’t want them. He’d spit on them if he could._

The helicopter doors open and Arthur sees Nash, their less-than-two-bit architect whom he would _never_ have worked with in a million years but he could make their timetable, could copy a level from other projects he’d worked on, and most importantly, would work with Cobb. _For most of my share, of course._ And across from Nash, Saito, with a knowing look on his face and a clear business deal in his head.

_Well, fuck. _

Arthur stepped on the helicopter, resentment curling in the pit of his stomach.

_Stateside’s not gonna work, _he tapped into the phone he keeps in his inside breast pocket. The phone with no real numbers on it and messages from the only one he has memorized.

_Mombasa, then. Cheers, love. _

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick one-shot I was inspired to write while rewatching the movie. Enjoy and do let me know what you think!
> 
> Edit: based on all of the love I've gotten since posting this fic, I'm considering expanding to include other scenes! Let me know if you'd be interested :) thanks for all the support!


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